


Day 13 - Collapse

by Chibifukurou



Category: Ready or Not (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:20:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29626221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chibifukurou/pseuds/Chibifukurou
Summary: When Grace collapsed against him, he picked her up and kept going, through the grounds, under the hole in the fence where the big willow’s roots destroyed the support pillar, out to the edge of the property where he’d stashed a rental car. He got her in the passenger seat, buckled her in, and started driving.
Relationships: Alex Le Domas/Grace Le Domas
Kudos: 12
Collections: February Ficlet Challenge 2021: Apocalypse No





	Day 13 - Collapse

Daniel held Grace’s hand tight in his, and they ran. He’d gone against the family. He’d known the price of that since he was a kid. If he wasn’t willing to kill them, or kill for them, they would to kill him. 

Alex might feel bad about it after. He might even try to stop them. (Daniel wasn’t as sure of that as he’d been been before today) But the rest of the family would be baying for his blood. 

It didn’t matter though, Daniel had hit his limit. He refused to help his family kill another person, even if that meant he was going to die instead. 

It was funny, in a fucked up kind of way. He was the cowardly brother, always had been. Alex had been the one who got out. He’d been the one who stayed. Now Alex was the one coming back and Daniel was the one leaving. An hour until sunrise. Supposedly the game would be over then. 

Daniel didn’t believe it. There was a pit in their back yard that holds the body of their family’s maids. His nephew shot his aunt to win his mom’s love. This whole fucking cycle was going to keep happening until the whole family collapsed in on itself or tore itself apart. 

When Grace collapsed against him, he picked her up and kept going, through the grounds, under the hole in the fence where the big willow’s roots destroyed the support pillar, out to the edge of the property where he’d stashed a rental car. He got her in the passenger seat, buckled her in, and started driving. 

It took twenty minutes to get out of the rich part of town, and onto the highway. Ten miles further down there was a truck stop with a by the hour hotel attached. He rented a room and took her inside. Grateful that nobody seemed to notice him bringing in a blood covered woman. 

He left her there, in her wedding dress, with the suitcase of cash he stashed in the car’s truck, the key for the hotel room, and his cell. Then he drove back home. Pulled up right to the front gates. They opened after a few minutes. The sky was just starting to turn pink around the edges. 

They meet him on the front steps. Dad, Mom, Aunt Helene, Charity, and Alex. 

“Where is she!” Dad demanded his voice still garbled from the acid Daniel had slipped him.

“Gone.”

“Daniel.” His mom sounded so sad, but her hold on her knife didn’t waver. “Why would you do this? Don’t you know how important family is?”

He doesn’t laugh, doesn’t sob. He’d gladly do both. 

“Take your brother, and go get her.” 

Daniel met Alex’s eyes. Waited to see if he would make a run for it. 

“Just tell me where she is,” Alex said. He doesn’t run, but he doesn’t sound angry either. 

“Safe, far enough away nobody can get to her before sunup.” 

That’s what finally broke them. Dad lunged at him, knife up. Mom only a step behind. They dragged him inside, pinned him to the dining room table,no patience for dressing things up with ceremony anymore. Daniel didn’t fight them. This was where he was always heading. From the moment he chose protecting Alex over Uncle Charles. 

Dad held out the knife to Alex. “You do it. He took your wife away. He deserves this for interfering.”

Alex took the knife. He stared down at it and then at Daniel. If he doesn’t strike, Dad will just sacrifice them both. “It’s alright, do you what you need to.”

The knife rose up, Daniel braced himself as best he could. The light of dawn flashed off the blade. Alex froze. The hands holding Daniel down released as Mom, Dad, and Aunt Helene withdrew from the light like it burned them. 

Charity stayed, holding down his legs. If Daniel had wanted to he could have shaken her off, but he was tired. Alex still held the knife. They are caught, frozen in the amber sunlight. 

Then there was a meaty explosion. Emilie started to scream. Blood splattered over Daniel and Alex. The hold on his ankles went away with another thump and the feel of viscera against his skin. Daniel refused to open his eyes, refused to look. 

The screams stopped. Daniel forced himself to open his eyes. 

Alex was still standing there, knife clutched in his hand. He was staring at the splatter of blood on the wall, where Daniel had last seen Mom and Dad. He pulled himself upright, leaving Alex at his back. If Alex decided to kill him for this he’d understand. 

There was movement out of the corner of his eye. When he looked, Mr. Le Bail sat there watching them, a crooked smile on his face. With a nod, he disappeared like he’d never been there. 

A clank and the sound of retching drew Daniel’s attention away from the now empty chair. Alex was sobbing and it was bone deep knowledge that Daniel was supposed to comfort him, “What did we do? I should have just let them kill Grace. It wasn’t worth all of this.”

Daniel froze. He’d known. He’d told himself he’d known what Alex was becoming. The moment he brought Grace here without warning. Had let her play the game. But to hear his Dad’s words out of his brother’s mouth. It made him want to scream and shake Alex. Try to get him to see some kind of reason. 

Instead, he turned and left Alex there, surrounded by what little was left of their family.


End file.
